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 Professor David Adams
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said not one of the documents produced by the state's Social Inclusion Unit, including its pivotal Social Inclusion Strategy Consultation Paper, mentions gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people even though they experience much higher than average levels of workplace discrimination, hate-motivated assault, poor health and educational outcomes, and other factors which contribute to social exclusion.
"The first job of the Social Inclusion Commissioner is to make sure the Government's strategy is inclusive of everyone who experiences discrimination and disadvantage", Croome said.
"Too many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Tasmanians continue to suffer prejudice in the workplace, abuse on the streets and rejection by families and communities."
Croome said many LGBT Tasmanians still suffer social exclusion and the new commissioner needed to address it. He also called for the Social Inclusion Commissioner to have greater powers.
"The Commissioner is hamstrung by being the Premier's appointee for the brief, uncertain period until the next state election, without his own budget and without any kind of independent legislative authority," Croome said. "We call on the Government to strengthen Professor Adams' hand by providing him with his own statutory mandate and authority independent of Government in much the same way as the Anti- Discrimination Commissioner."
Prof Adams is the second Social Inclusion Commissioner in Australia after Monsignor David Cappo in South Australia. The Federal Government has a position for a Social Inclusion Commissioner but has not appointed one
None of Australia's Social Inclusion Strategies deal with the exclusion faced by GLBT people.
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